Various embodiments concern a method of attaching a microactuator to a flexure, depositing a wet mass of structural adhesive on the flexure, mounting the microactuator on the wet mass of structural adhesive, partially curing the mass of structural adhesive through a first application of curing energy, and depositing a mass of conductive adhesive on the flexure. The mass of conductive adhesive is deposited in contact with the mass of structural adhesive. The state of partial curing of the structural adhesive prevents the conductive adhesive from wicking between the flexure and the underside of the microactuator and displacing the structural adhesive which may otherwise result in shorting to a stainless steel layer of the flexure. The method further comprises fully curing the mass of structural adhesive and the conductive adhesive through a second application of curing energy.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A suspension assembly, comprising: a baseplate configured as a mounting structure for the suspension assembly; a load beam coupled to the baseplate; and a flexure assembly configured on the load beam at a distal end opposite the baseplate, the flexure assembly including: a flexure having a first surface and a second surface; a mass of structural adhesive disposed on the first surface, the mass of structural adhesive partially cured, the mass of structural adhesive is non-conductive; a microactuator mounted on the flexure, the microactuator having a bottom side and a terminal, the bottom side in contact with the mass of structural adhesive; and a mass of conductive adhesive disposed on the second surface, the mass of conductive adhesive in contact with the terminal and the mass of structural adhesive, the mass of conductive adhesive in a wet state.
2. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mass of structural adhesive blocks the mass of conductive adhesive from penetrating between an underside of the microactuator and the first surface.
3. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is a structural metal layer of the flexure, the structural metal layer is formed from a first metal and the second surface is a terminal pad in electrical connection with a trace of the flexure, the terminal pad formed from a second metal that is different from the first metal.
4. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mass of structural adhesive comprises a skin of cured structural adhesive and a wet core structural adhesive.
5. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mass of structural adhesive is electrically insulative.
6. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexure includes a stainless steel layer, and the first surface is a surface of the stainless steel layer.
7. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second surface is a conductive pad of the flexure.
8. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is formed from a different type of metal than the second surface.
9. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is entirely underneath the microactuator and the second surface is not underneath the microactuator.
10. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the microactuator is a piezoelectric motor.
11. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the load beam includes a beam region coupled to the baseplate along a spring region.
12. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein the load beam is coupled to the baseplate along a hinge region.
13. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: an additional mass of structural adhesive disposed on a third surface of the flexure, the additional mass of structural adhesive in a wet state; and an additional mass of conductive adhesive disposed on the flexure, the additional mass of conductive adhesive configured to contact each of a fourth surface of the flexure, a second terminal of the microactuator, and a surface of the additional mass of structural adhesive.
14. The suspension assembly of claim 13 , wherein the conductive adhesive is disposed along a first lateral end of the microactuator and the additional mass of conductive adhesive is disposed along a second lateral end of the microactuator.
15. The suspension assembly of claim 13 , wherein the microactuator is mounted over the flexure such that the structural adhesive is located between and in contact with each of the third surface of the flexure and the surface of the microactuator.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 20, 2017
December 4, 2018
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